Garment hanger



Aug. 26, 1947- J. F. APPLEMAN 2,426,292

GARMENT 'HANGER 2 sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 15, 1945 Aug. 26, 1947. .1. F. APPLEMNA GARMENT HANGERy File-d Oct. 15, 1945 2 Sheets-'Sheet 2 Patented Aug. 26, 1947 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GARMENT HANGER .oseph F. Appleman, Chicago, Ill. Application October 15, 1945, Serial No. 622,243

Claims. 1

This invention relates to improvements in garment hangers and has for one of its objects to provide a hanger for receiving and retaining wearing appa-rel, i. e., coats, skirts, trousers, etc., in proper form whereby they or any of them will be retained in natural and proper shape and will be prevented from wrinkling or otherwise becoming mis-shapen due, primarily, to shifting thereof during their hanging or by reason of improper and inadequate hanging support therefor.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a hanger of the stated character upon which coats, skirts, trousers, vests and/or other articles of Wearing apparel may be collectively hung thereupon, and when so supported, maintained free of wrinkles or other malformations.

Moreover, it is an object of the invention to provide a garment hanger which, when hangingly engaged with a supporting medium, will be prevented from having pendulous or swinging movement with relation thereto, hence, avoiding undesirable relative shifting of a supported garment or garments during sliding oi the hanger from one position to another uponthe supporting medium.

An equally important object of my invention resides in the provision of a garment hanger, the overall length of which may be selectively adjusted and then fixed, in order that the same may be made to t perfectly the shoulder size of a coat or vest engaged upon and hangingly supported thereby, thus, ensuring the effectual retention of the garment in its proper shape, and so, prevent the formation of wrinkles there- Yet another object of the invention is to provide a garment hanger in which the length adjustable ,shoulder engaging portions of the same will be securely locked and retained in a particularly length adjusted relationship, and additionally, wherein the manner of engagement of its hanger supporting medium engaging hooi: with the latter will increase the degree of security with which the shoulder engaging portions are retained in a particular length adjusted relationship.

Other objects of the invention will be in part obvious and in part pointed out hereinafter.

In order that the invention and its mode of operation may be readily understood by those skilled in the art to which it appertains, l have in the accompanying drawings and in the following detailed description based thereupon, set out one embodiment of my invention.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a perspective view garment hanger.

Figure 2 is a top plan View of the same.

Figure 3 is a vertical transverse section through the same.

Figure 4 is a detail in perspective of the hanger clamping device and hook, and

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary section in detail, showing the manner in which the inner end portions of the garment shoulder engaging portions or members of the hanger are adjustably interengaged.

Referring now in detail to the invention, the same consists of slopingly curved garment shoulder engaging and supporting members i and i', arranged in longitudinally opposed relationship, each having, upon its outer extremity a longitudinally inwardly disposed and horizontally positioned arm, generally indicated by the numeral The shoulder engaging members l and i and their inwardly extending arms 2 may be and preferably are molded or otherwise formed of plastic material, as for example, such thermoplastic materials as cellulose acetate, aceto-butyrate, etc., though of course, it will be understood that thermosetting plastics may be employed, as may metal, wood, `or certain compositions, such as conditions or preference may dictate.

The shoulder engaging members, as hereinbefore stated, are each slopingly curved and the inner end portion of each is straight and arranged in a horizontal plane with relation to its particular longitudinal inwardly disposed arm Z, i. e., in parallelism thereto. Also, as will be noted upon reference t0 Figures l and 3 of the accompanying drawings, the upper or outer sides of each of the members l and l are correspondingly transversely curved or rounded as are their relatively straight inner end portions.

'The shoulder engaging member I has a longitudinally disposed reotangularly shaped pocket 3 Of my lmplGVed formed in its relatively straight inner end portion opening onto the inner end thereof, as is shown in Figure 5 of the drawings. The bottom of said pocket is transversely serrated by forming a plurality of relatively parallel straight ribs fi therein.

The shoulder engaging member l', and particularly, its substantially straight inner end portion is reduced in width, as shown in Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings, to provide a longitudinally disposed tongue 5, the under or normally lower side of which is serrated or transversely ribbed in a manner corresponding to the bottom of the pocket 3 of the opposite shoulder engaging member. The length and width of the tongue corresponds substantially to that of the pocket 3, and additionally, its depth is such that when engaged in said pocket, its transversely curved outer surface is contiguous with the adjacent surface of the pocket provided member I, hence, maintaining the cross-sectionally curved shape of the hanger construction, as shown in Figure 3.

The longitudinally inwardly disposed arms 2, integral with the outer ends of the shoulder engaging members I and I', as shown in Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings, are arranged in horizontally juxtaposed relation and since the construction of the arms is complemental, descriptive matter will be hereinafter directed to one thereof, it being understood that such matter will suiiice for both.

The basal portion of the arm substantially corresponds in width and thickness to its particular shoulder engaging member I or I', and as hereinbefore stated, is longitudinally and inwardly disposed in a substantially horizontal plane parallel or substantially parallel to the straight inner dicated at 2', and is laterally oiTset from its particular shoulder engaging member; also, it is formed with a vertical longitudinally disposed opening onto its inner or free end, Figures 1 and 2. The longitudinal slot 5, preferably, is inwardly tapered, i. e., is progressively reduced in width towards the inner or free end of its arm.

The arm 2, provided to the remaining shoulder engaging member, as above stated, corresponds in construction to the previously described arm, but its position is reverse to that of said previously described arm. It extends inwardly from its particular shoulder engaging member and by reason of the manner of reducing its inner and free portion, is disposed n horizontally juxtaposed relationship to its companionate arm. Because of the reduction of members I and I; 1 and 2, the free or inner ends of each of the lonarm, and so, provide suiiicient space to permit the sliding introduction of cuff portions of trouser legs into their longitudinal slots S for supporting therefrom. In this connection, it will be understood that a pair of tro-users may be engaged in and supported from each of the arms 2, and when so engaged, will be substantially perpendicularly hung or supported therefrom.

In order that the tongue-in-pocket engagement between the inner end portions of the shoulder engaging members I and I may be maintained. I provide the device with a spring material constructed clamp 7. Said clamp, which, preferably, is constructed of sheet spring metal, comprises a looped basal portion 8, the cross-sectional size of which substantially conforms to that of the interengaged inner end portions of the shoulder engaging members I and I', as will be seen upon reference to Figures l and 3 of the accompanying drawings.

A width reduced extension 9 is provided upon one side of the clamp 7, and is co-axially twisted, as at 9', and formed into a supporting medium engaging hook I@ disposed at substantially right angles to the longitudinal axis of the hanger. As

will be noted upon reference to Figures 1 and 4, the hook I, because of its breadth, will effect a substantially ilush or flat supporting engagement or contact with a supporting medium, such, for example, as a bar, pole, etc. In consequence, swinging or similar pendulous movement of the hanger will be prevented, and thus, sliding of the hanger without objectionable displacement of the garment or garments supported thereupon and therefrom will be permitted.

To effect adjustment of the overall length ofthe improved hanger whereby the same may be made to properly it coats or like garments of different shoulder sizes, the spring clamp 1 is disengaged from the pocket and tongue provided interengaged inner end portions of the shoulder engaging portions I and I of the hanger. Thereupon, the tongue 5 of the member I is longitudinally moved inwardly with relation to the longitudinal pocket 3 of the shoulder engaging member I until a desired overall length of the hanger is effected. Thereupon, with the serrated portions of the pocket 3 and the tongue 5 interengaging, as shown in Figure 5 of the drawings, the spring clamp 'I is re-engaged transversely thereover in a manner shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3 of the drawings, at which time the hanger is ready for usage.

At this point, attention is invited to the fact that because of the relatively straight formation of the inner end portions of the shoulder engaging members I and I, longitudinal length adjustment between the same, in a manner immediately above described, will be permitted without in any manner whatsoever aiecting the relative parallel positioning of the horizontally juxtaposed inwardly disposed supporting arms 2. Thus, since said arms will, irrespective of length adjustment between the shoulder engaging portions l and I trousers, skirts, etc., therefrom will be ensured, with the result that mis-shaping or wrinkling of the same dueto improper or non-perpendicular hanging will be prevented.

I claim: 1. A garment tively angles to the vertical axis of the garment shoulder engaging members.

2. A garment hanger, comprising longitudinally opposed garment shoulder engaging members, an inner end portion of one of said shoulder engaging members having a longitudinally disposed pocket formed therein, a longitudinally disposed tongue on the adjacent inner end portion of the remaining shoulder engaging member receivable in said pocket, means on adjacent portions of the pocket and the tongue interengaging to prevent longitudinal movement of the tongue with relation to the pocket, clamping means removably securing said tongue in said pocket, and supporting medium engaging means connected to said clamping means.

3. A garment hanger, comprising longitudinally opposed garment shoulder engaging members, the inner end portions of which are substantially straight, one of said end portions having a longitudinally disposed inwardly open pocket formed therein, a longitudinally disposed tongue on the other of said end portions substantially parallel thereto received in said pocket, inwardly extending longitudinally opposed arms on said shoulder engaging members arranged in relative parallelism, each of said arms having a longitudinal slot therein opening onto its respective free end, clamping means engaged with and about the inner end portions of said shoulder engaging members removably retaining said tongue in said pocket, and supporting medium engaging means connected to said clamping means.

4. A garment hanger, comprising longitudinally opposed and aligned garment shoulder engaging members, the inner end portions of which are substantially straight, one of said end portions having a longitudinally disposed inwardly opening pocket formed therein, the bottom of said pocket being irregularly formed, a longitudinally disposed tongue on the other of said end portions substantially parallel thereto having its normally inner side irregularly formed received in said pocket and interengaged with the irregularly formed bottom thereof, inwardly disposed horizontally juxtaposed arms on each of said shoulder engaging members arranged in substantially parallelism to the straight inner end portions thereof, each oi" said arms having a longitudinal slot therein opening onto its respective free end, means detachably engaged about the inner end portions of said shoulder engaging members retaining said tongue in said pocket and against relative longitudinal movement, and supporting medium engaging means connected to said last mentioned means.

5. A garment hanger, comprising longitudinally opposed garment shoulder engaging members, the inner portion of one of said members having a longitudinally disposed inwardly opening pocket formed therein opening onto one surface thereof and having its bottom irregularly formed, a longitudinally disposed and extending tongue on the innerl end of the remaining garment shoulder engaging member having its inner side irregularly formed and removably engaged with and over the irregularly formed bottom of said pocket in the inner end portion of the rst mentioned garment shoulder engaging member, means detachably connecting the engaged inner end portions of the garment shoulder engaging members, a supporting medium engaging means connected to said shoulder engaging end portions connecting means, and an inwardly extending horizontal arm on each oi the outer ends o f said shoulder engaging members, said arms being substantially relatively parallel and laterally juxtaposed and having their respective free ends terminated inwardly of the adjacent ends of the respectively opposite shoulder engaging members, each of said arms being formed with longitudinal ways opening onto their respective free ends.

JOSEPH F. APPLEMAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS De Waide 

